Board asked to support veteran census

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By David Smith

Siskiyou Daily News, Yreka, CA

By David Smith

Posted Jan. 6, 2014 at 10:03 AM

By David Smith
Posted Jan. 6, 2014 at 10:03 AM

YREKA

The Siskiyou County Board of Supervisors will decide Tuesday whether it will support proposed legislation to create a statewide census of veterans to more accurately determine the allocation of benefit funding.

According to Kent James of the Veterans’ Foundation of Siskiyou County, it is believed that the current estimate for veterans in the county is inaccurate at approximately 4,500. In addition, the county’s lack of participation in the Housing and Urban development Point-In-Time count leaves the United States Veterans Affairs agency without any count of homeless veterans in Siskiyou.

“It’s garbage in, garbage out,” James said in an interview Friday regarding the state formula for determining aid, explaining that inaccurate counts give inaccurate amounts of aid to be distributed.

In a document requesting the legislation, James describes the facets he f the law, including funding for the census through the state’s general fund.

“Ongoing yearly funding should be considered a fundamental right of provision for all California’s United States military veterans and their lawful dependents,” the letter reads.

The letter also states that James believes the census should take place at least once every 10 years, and that development of the legislation should involve at least five veterans who have resided in Siskiyou County for at least five continuous years.

Asked if he foresees veterans not wanting to be part of a database, James said he does not expect much resistance, especially with the census only asking veteran status. He also expects that other counties, facing similar issues, will join in the call for the creation and adoption of the census legislation.

Volunteer firefighters

The board will also consider supporting House Resolution 3685, which seeks to exempt volunteer firefighters from being counted as employees and therefore requiring fire districts to provide health insurance under the Affordable Care Act.

The classification of some volunteer firefighters as employees rather than volunteers would be the result of an IRS determination as part of its interim final rule on a subsection of the ACA.

The board’s draft letter, addressed to Representative Doug LaMalfa, reads, “The Siskiyou County Board of Supervisors is fully aware of the difficulties that this IRS ruling would create for fire departments in California and across the United States.

“Unable to meet financial challenges this ruling would create, it is likely the departments would reduce staffing levels and shifts to remain below the stipulated thresholds thereby significantly lowering emergency response capabilities.”

In September, the International Association of Fire Chiefs sent a letter to IRS Commissioner Daniel Werfel requesting the exclusion of volunteer firefighters from employee status under the ACA, and House Resolution 584, introduced Dec. 17, calls for the immediate passage of HR 3685.